Lassiter
Chad Dion Lassiter, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, recently talked with me about fair housing and how this affects communities. Lassiter has been with the PHRC since 2018 and previously served as the executive director of the Red Cross House with the American Red Cross of Eastern Pennsylvania and a Professor of Race Relations at West Chester University.
Lassiter noted in our conversation that the national Fair Housing Act emerged from the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He said the act recognizes that housing is not just a fundamental right, but a human right and that housing discrimination is pervasive. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing against people based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission enforces state laws that prohibit discrimination and through its Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, it investigates fair housing violations.
Lassiter commented that most Realtors® are following the Fair Housing Act. When they meet with a prospective homebuyer, whether at a home or an apartment, the Realtors® are inviting, extremely professional and they see the humanity of the individuals in front of them. And then there are Realtors® who historically and contemporary have discriminated against people because of racism and other variables like maybe the clients are a same-sex couple, an interracial couple, maybe a couple with children or maybe someone who has a guide dog.
Recently, the National Association of Realtors® has put an additional focus on its commitment to fair housing to ensure that Realtors® lead the fight against housing discrimination. NAR introduced its online fair housing training simulation, Fairhaven.realtor, which allows Realtors® to learn more about fair housing from both the agent and consumer perspectives.
Watch the video to hear more of my fair housing conversation with Chad.
Topics
Member Discussion
Recent Articles
-
Webinar Recap: Agreement of Sale Refresher
- July 11, 2025
- 8 min. read
PAR’s Legal Team provided an Agreement of Sale Refresher webinar focused on hot topics, ranging from deposits to possession, mortgage contingency to inspection contingency.
-
Buy Now, Pay Later Gaining Popularity
- July 10, 2025
- 2 min. read
As Americans face higher costs of living, the option to buy now and pay later is gaining popularity, seeing an estimated $125 billion in payment values by 2027.
-
Is an Open-Concept Floor Plan Right for You?
- July 9, 2025
- 3 min. read
Open-concept floor plans have been popular since the mid-20th century, but more people today are considering traditional layouts instead. Here are some pros and cons of open concepts.
Daily Emails
You’ll be the first to know about real estate trends and various legal happenings. Stay up-to-date by subscribing to JustListed.